Akshay Sethi at Dhauli Village, Tonk, Rajasthan, March 2021

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Artreach team along with artist educator Akshay Sethi led a week long intensive workshop with 25 children from a government school in Dhauli village, Tonk, Rajasthan and 2 local youths. The workshop concluded in two large murals on the school wall and construction of a playground!

The final production marks a visible transformation in not just the space, but the ownership of it, for those involved, especially the girls who took lead of much of the process. It is their dreams, aspirations and imagination that now expand across their school, filling the space with hope and inspiration for a long time to come.

On the first day of the workshop, participants were asked what they enjoy doing most.
We asked all of them to draw what they liked doing, surprisingly most of the girls drew
boys kicking footballs or teaching in a classroom. One very bright girl from the group
however shared that she loves kicking a football, and wishes to wear shorts and sports
shoes and to play freely. We collectively decided to take her idea and to transfer it onto
the large facade wall of the school, facing the main road.

Over the initial two days, Anarya and Akshay shared illustrated stories about inspiring
women from different profession fields – painters, scientists, mountain climbers etc. This led to many conversations on gender roles, work and aspirations and slowly by the end of the day we had drawings of girls in capes, kicking footballs, flying, painting and also in a suit going to the office with a briefcase. An open space for dialogue and trust was created through this process.

The Artreach team started painting the two large murals with a few demonstrations, and soon the participants were able to take charge, brainstorming ideas, drawing, painting and adding details to the wall on their own. There was constant facilitation and guidance by the team, throughout the process.

While the murals were on-going, the team worked with local youth and welders in
constructing animal forms and a large monkey bar out of metal junk and a tyre
installation, which were then painted by students.

This project was in partnership with ipartner India.

Mike Benevenia at Katkatha Puppet Studio, Delhi, January 2020

We began our New Year with a vibrant mural painted on the outside wall of Katkatha puppet studio in Tughlaqabad, Delhi. Artist Mike Benevenia showed the participants lots of books and images of plants found in Delhi.

Participants came up with the idea of transforming their lane into “Sapno ki Gali” (a lane of dreams). They filled the wall with various plants, flowers, animals, out of the world creatures and children in the midst of this wonderland.

Avinash Karn at Sankalp Welfare Trust, Gurgaon, September 2019

In September 2019, artist Avinash Karn led a three days mural painting workshop with 20 children from Sankalp Welfare Society, Gurgaon.

We discussed about environmental threats to the biodiversity of Gurgaon and participants created drawings re-imagining the city, where humans and animals co-exist. Avinash also introduced them to the vibrant Madhubani painting style from Bihar.

Together they created this beautiful mural painting on the school wall.

 

 

 

Ita Mehrotra at SAN-KER, Shillong, August 2019

Over two intensive days in August, Ita Mehrotra from Artreach India team worked with twenty participants both from SAN-KER center at Shillong and from Reach NGO. Participants made beautiful nature studies, collective drawings in teams and their first comics based on super powers that would let them achieve their dreams, that ranged from saving children to having flying horses that could ride them anywhere!
We are grateful to Dr. Sandy and his team for hosting and assisting us lead the workshop and to Khublei for making this happen.

SAN-KER is a Shillong based charity that provides mental health care for all. Reach NGO works with children off the street. This workshop was in partnership with Khublei.

Akshay Sethi at Tara Outreach Center, Saidulajab, Delhi, June 2019

Delhi based visual artist, Akshay Sethi led a 3 days mural painting workshop with 30 children from Tara Outreach Center (https://www.taraindia.org/fr). It was a fun filled experience for the kids. They started with playing theater games, imagining to be an object of their choice and acting out it’s movements. Children then created their very own characters out of objects they use in daily life.

Together they came up with stories about angry sharpener, broken pencil, a TV who wants to sleep and a plastic bottle drinking an entire river.

Prasoon Poddar at Place of Safety, Juvenile Home for boys, Delhi, April 2019

10 boys from Place of Safety, Juvenile Home painted breathtaking mural painting, reimaging Delhi, in which a clean Yamuna flows through green fields and an elephant and a peacock are enjoying the view. We can also see metro crossing in front of distant Qutub Minar.

Artist Prasoon Poddar led the 2 days mural painting workshop, which has transformed the space entirely inside the Juvenile home.

We are grateful to The Yuva Ekta Foundation for inviting us into the home to work with the boys.

 

Avantika Mathur at Salaam Baalak Trust, Malad, Mumbai, February 2019

So excited to share images from our first Volunteer Residency workshop in Mumbai with 40 children from Salaam Baalak Trust. Artist Avantika Mathur led the children through day full of experimenting with mix media. She brought in lots of material for children to explore, including ear buds, bubble sheets, masking tape, threads, newspaper etc.

Participants then transformed their dreams on paper using various techniques of painting and collage.

Lucie Blazevska at Khushi Rainbow Homes, Okhla, Delhi, January 2019

New Zealand based artist and designer Lucie Blaze led 20 girls from Khushi Rainbow Homes through 3 wonderful days of painting and drawing. Girls started with thinking about superpowers they have and drew themselves with their super powers.

Taking elements from each of their drawings, girls then painted their own characters on the main entrance door floating on little clouds, playing badminton, reading, dancing, singing and laughing.

We also have some hybrid animals painted in gond style on the other side of the door.

 

 

 

Lleah Amy Smith and Ankit Mishra at Sawai Man Singh International School in Jobner, Rajasthan, January 2019

Glimpses of our volunteer residency workshop led by Lleah Amy Smith and Ankit Mishra and facilitated by Sanjana Sarkar – with 25 budding artists of Sawai Man Singh International School in Jobner, Rajasthan. Lleah and Ankit spent 3 days together with the students imagining and creating a mural exploring diversity, gender and caste by creating their own playful ‘skins’ for animals, presenting new ways of looking at the world. Thanks to Mr and Mrs Khangarot, founding directors of the school for inviting us, to teachers and students for their enthusiasm and participation and to Lleah, Ankit and Sanjana for making it happen.

 

Six workshop series at Mobile Creches with Moumita Ghosh, Delhi NCR, Oct – Nov 2018

Artreach facilitators and Grantee Moumita Ghosh lead six 3 days workshops at various centres across Delhi NCR- involving Mural painting, Puppet making and much more as part of Mobile Creches’ 50th Year celebrations. Moumita worked with children from different age groups from 3-6 years old to 6 – 12.

Mobile Creches is a pioneering organization working for the rights of marginalized children. The creche is located near construction site for children of migrant workers.  For more : https://www.mobilecreches.org/

 

Kite Mural at G1 Creche (Gurgaon) 

Children started with each one of them drawing a kite on paper, with one thing they like the most on it. The drawings were then painted on the wall by children. Each child had a colorful kite of their own flying between the clouds on the Creche wall. It was delight to see the confidence boost and smiles on their faces looking at their painting on the wall.

 

Puppet making at Bestech (Gurgaon)

Moumita taught children how to make paper puppets. They started with learning to draw faces and making masks out of those. They crafted full body puppets with moving arms and legs, which was very exciting for them. The best part was to see even the shy ones sharing stories through their puppets by the end of the third day.

 

50 years of Mobile Creches, Mural at Hemisphere (Greater Noida)

For the 50 years celebration of Mobile Creches, children painted a big 50 at the creche wall and filled it with all their favorite things. You could see animals, birds, ladoos (sweet sugary balls) and all sort of colorful things painted very skillfully and patiently by children.

 

Boat Mural at Ajnara lee Garden (Greater Noida)

Ajnara center was one of the far off centers in Greater Noida we went in. The creche was built within the small labour village. There were children from age 4 to 12 for the workshop, all excited to paint up the walls. Moumita started with teaching them how to make origami paper boats. The elder children then painted boats on the creche wall, with little ones helping them out. Each boat had animals, flowers, stars and moon drawn on them. Some children also painted passengers ready to sail.

 

Pastel drawings, leaf prints and cards at Dakshinpuri

We had a fun session painting cards and making leaf prints with 3-4 years old little artists at Dakshinpuri center. Moumita started with letting the children explore free hand drawing. They also learnt to draw faces.

 

Calendars and vegetable prints at Seemapuri

Again in Seemapuri, all the children were 3-4 years old. Moumita got potato blocks for them. They had a fun session dabbing the blocks in paint and printing patterns on paper. Later the sheets were made into a hanging calendar.